


bygones

by justsleepwalkin



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Campaign 1 (Critical Role), Campaign 2 (Critical Role), Canon-Typical Behavior, Coda, Episode Related, Gen, Spoilers, c2e128
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29856573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsleepwalkin/pseuds/justsleepwalkin
Summary: “Artagan, must we keep doing this?” Vex'ahlia asks him, glaring up from where she's restringing her bow in a clearing near Whitestone. “I don't actually want to be your assigned babysitter. I thought we were done with these meetings after your little cult had their breakup.”
Relationships: Artagan & Jester Lavorre, Artagan & Vex'ahlia (Critical Role)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 90





	bygones

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how _this_ ended up being my reaction fic after the episode. 
> 
> [♫](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDIPeeB6mts) Bygones by William Ryan Fritch

“Artagan, must we keep doing this?” Vex'ahlia asks him, glaring up from where she's restringing her bow in a clearing near Whitestone. “I don't actually want to be your assigned babysitter. I thought we were done with these meetings after your little cult had their breakup.” 

“Please, you _love_ these meetings,” he tells her. 

He's got a frozen pineapple-coconut drink in hand, cloak billowing around his heels with magic, not wind. 

Vex is so tired. 

“I keep you informed on the _fun_ outside your sphere. None of the nattering of that council. And motherhood, _ugh_ , it must be so tedious dealing with your children all the time.”

She slips a dagger from her side and throws it with ease, sailing it through a lock of his hair and listening to it dig into a tree behind him. He freezes and raises a brow at her.

“Say anything about my children again and it'll be your throat next time.”

“Well,” he allows, “they are a handful of tricksters-to-be.”

“And they _aren't_ going to be worshiping you, ever.”

He waves a dismissive hand.

“Besides,” she continues. “Don't you have your 'favorite' as enough?” 

“She's flourishing without me.” 

“Realized she didn't want to lose herself to a fraud?”

“... No.” He spins the drink in his palm. “She's like you... she sees me for who I am.” He smiles at her, and she's alarmed to realize how honest it is. “I'd forgotten how refreshing that was. She's going to be _amazing_. Already on her way there.”

At least Artagan grew, at some point, to care for another person. She still remembers Artagan's pure _fascination_ at getting the chance to strangle her brother. 

“Lovely,” she says blandly.

He finally takes a deep pull from the straw of his drink, trying to keep up that cool persona of his that she generally hates, but then he coughs, surprised, and looks at the drink in alarm. 

“Poisoned?” she asks, hopeful.

“ _Non-alcoholic_ ,” he spits, holding the drink away from him as though it was cursed. “How very rude.” 

“Tragic, darling. You'll live, I'm sure.”

“Unfortunately,” he sighs, exasperated. He spins it again in his hand and it vanishes. “Anyway. Has Vysoren reached out to you?”

Vex pauses in her work, frowning, stroking a hand over Fenthras. “No,” she says. She looks up at him. He seems... distracted, but not in his usual way. “... Why would she?”

“Ha!” he laughs, forced, and waves it off. “It's nothing, then. Don't worry about it.” 

Well _now_ she might just contact Allura. She'd think maybe that was his plan but... but he's off. Something's wrong. The last time she's seen him this out of sorts he was complaining about how he didn't understand mortals, practically pulling at his hair. 

“It's nothing,” he repeats. 

“Okay,” she answers, even though they both know that she's lying. 

“It's just—” He starts, and then his words are swallowed by a choked gasp and he's alert, turning away like he's heard something, motionless. 

“... Artagan?” 

He shakes his head, eyes scanning the treeline, searching for something only he can see.

Very slowly Vex gets to her feet. “ _Artagan_.” 

“She's... gone,” he whispers, shaken. 

“What?” Vex asks. She doesn't have to ask _who_. There's no one else that keeps the archfey wound tight. 

“From this plane,” he continues, arms dropping to his side. “Not just... not just in a pocket dimension, but _gone_.” 

He turns to face Vex. He looks _scared_ and Vex feels her nerves rise. She's never seen him like this in all the time that she's known him. 

“I... I should have— _no_ ,” he interrupts himself, starting to pace, hands moving in erratic gestures. “I've had to give her space. She can't—it's dangerous to become reliant on me, so I've—I've _had_ to stay away, like a-a normal god! But she's... it's... _bad_ , I know it is, and I—I have to go. I have to... figure something out. Non-direct. I can do that, right? I'm not a part of the silly pantheon. I have... yes. I have options.”

“ _Artagan_! Just slow down! You're not making any sense.”

He stops. Smiles, quick, to her. “Thanks for the chat, Lady Vex'ahlia. Always a pleasure.”

“ _Wait_ —”

He's gone.

“Dammit!” She gathers her things and whistles sharp, the sound echoing unearthly through the wood. Two forms come from opposite ends of the clearing; her loyal companion, Trinket; and Whitestone's ally first and sometimes-aid to Vex, the wolf Galdric. “Something's not right with the world,” she says to them, remembering Artagan's strange _'Has Vysoren reached out to you?'_ “Let's find out what that is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Also this was partially inspired by [this](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/redjennies/644788893598810112) tumblr comment that Beau accidentally gave Artagan Cad's virgin coconut drink.


End file.
